It’s a Wednesday morning at the Woodrock Cat Café in Kyalami, but there’s no usual rush. Instead, journalists are doing yoga with rescue dogs and media guests are cradling cats between interviews, experiencing first-hand the grounding impact animals have on human mental health.
The event is made possible by First for Women as another manifestation of the insurer’s long-standing partnership with Woodrock Animal Rescue, in support of the organisation’s sterilisation and adoption work.
First For Women and Woodrock partnership
The goal was to demonstrate to guests and media what a genuine collaboration can achieve for both vulnerable animals and the people who love them.
SA’s stray animal rates
South Africa faces one of the highest stray animal rates on the continent.
First for Women’s funded partnership with Woodrock Animal Rescue tells a story about what it looks like when a corporate brand genuinely shows up.
Rather than offering a once-off cheque, the brand has committed to consistent monthly donations, physical renovation support, and an active drive toward adoption and sterilisation at scale.
Seugnette van Wyngaard, Executive Head of First for Women Insurance said the relationship with Woodrock is an ongoing commitment to save hundreds of thousands of animals. “We’ve also invested in the physical transformation of the Woodrock Cat Café. This is a celebration of a beautiful, calming space where animals and people can connect and where adoptions can happen naturally.”
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What the partnership supports
Jacqui Martheze of Woodrock Animal Rescue echoes this sentiment, emphasising the profound operational impact of this sustained support: “Since we are self-funded and have a sustainable income from First for Women, the commitment to sterilise a specific number of animals monthly has provided financial relief and stability. This assistance from First for Women alleviates pressure and supports the animals who depend on us.”
This partnership between First for Women and Woodrock shows the physiological and emotional benefits of the human-animal bond and the mental wellbeing of both. By promoting adoption, the initiative brings dual healing to “both ends of the leash”, lowering daily anxieties, easing loneliness and giving modern women a much-needed environment to exhale.
“South Africa has a significant stray animal problem, and Woodrock’s sterilisation programme is one of the most effective tools we have to address it humanely,” Van Wyngaard adds. “Our support is directly measurable. Every First for Women pet insurance policy is, in a small way, contributing to that life-saving number, ensuring our customers are part of a larger ecosystem of care.”
Ultimately, the collaboration underscores a shared corporate philosophy – insurance is about showing up for the rescue, the recovery and the second chance
